


What Might Have Been

by lj_todd



Series: Some Legends Are Told [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alpha!Ra's, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mpreg, Omega!Oliver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 16:13:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8292157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lj_todd/pseuds/lj_todd
Summary: (AU for my story Every Wound Will Shape Me)What if Nyssa had not been sent to fetch Oliver home? What if the Demon's Head himself had come seeking him? What might have been?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mischief11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mischief11/gifts).



> So this little one-shot came about thanks to [Mischief11](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mischief11) asking what would have happened if Ra's had come for Oliver the first time instead of just sending Nyssa. Hope everyone who has thus far enjoyed "Every Wound Will Shape Me" enjoys this one as well.

The night was warm, warmer than he'd anticipated, especially in Starling City and as Oliver prowled through the city he tried not to think of the fight he had had with Sara. He had returned to the city because of a new threat against his family, a threat Sara had warned him of only to use against him to try and convince him to stop hiding he was still alive from his family.

She kept insisting he was running, not only from the League but from his family, from telling them the truth. And, he didn't like to admit, she was right. He was running. But she didn't understand that telling his family he was alive wouldn't change anything. It would just put them in further danger because they wouldn't stop looking for him.

And that, he knew, could get them hurt or killed.

So he prowled the city, debating how best to deal with the League threatening his family, and knowing the most logical thing to do would be return to Nanda Parbat before whomever his mate had sent decided to turn threats to actions.

He made his way slowly through the Glades, trusting no one who might see him here would recognize him, and as he neared a rundown overpass he started thinking that maybe he should just reach out, make contact with whomever had come from the League, assure them that he was willing to cooperate if it meant the safety of those he loved. Passing into the shadow of the overpass a breeze, soft and sudden, blew threw and, with it, came a scent, rich and familiar, that Oliver hadn't smelled in months.

He came to a halt and watched the assassin, dressed in grey and black, hood shadowing their face, land lightly, gracefully, like a large cat leaping from a tree, having used a length of strengthened silk to drop down from the overpass. He held completely still as the assassin slowly straightened. 

He would forever deny the way his heart stuttered, the trickle of fear that ran down his spine, as he watched the assassin approach him.

Just like he would deny the surprise that pulsed through him when, instead of attacking, the assassin pushed their hood back, revealing a handsome face, eyes crinkled at the corners slightly with age and lips turned, slightly, upwards in a barely there smile, before reaching out, catching hold of him, one hand curling around the back of his neck, the other around his hip, drawing him close even as a kiss, tender yet passionate, was pressed to his lips.

Oliver let out a soft sound as he kissed back even as the other man's scent, rich and warm, like fresh linen and cinnamon, washed over his senses like a wave. It made him rumble and lean in closer to the other, deepening the kiss even as the hand around the back of his neck tightened slightly, fingers pressing hard enough that he would bruise. It was as though the last several months were gone and they were back in Nanda Parbat. It was what caused him to step away, pulling from the embrace, the kiss, earning a look that was equal parts hurt and annoyance.

"I've had better greetings," the older man, the Alpha, _his_ Alpha, teased and Oliver couldn't help but smile, though it was shaky.

"I'm sorry...I just...I...I didn't know what you..." He closed his mouth with an audible click of his teeth and flinched slightly.

A frown graced that beautiful face even as Ra's let out a soft rumble.

"You thought I came to kill you," the Alpha said softly, disbelievingly, and shook his head, before reaching out, cupping Oliver's cheek gently, his touch familiar and comforting.

"Look, we...we should talk," Oliver replied, uncomfortable with even the thought of his Alpha trying to kill him.

"Of course," Ra's agreed, giving him a small smile. "Do we need permission from your friend?"

He frowned but watched as his Alpha glanced over his shoulder and he shouldn't have been so surprised to see Sara, dressed in her Canary gear, just a few feet away. He watched his fellow assassin fully turn to face Sara, the familiar mask, cold and calculating, gracing his mate's face.

"I am Ra's al Ghul," the Alpha rumbled, his tone the same he used on new initiates. "Master of the League of Assassins."

"What are you doing here," Sara demanded and Oliver wanted, more than anything, to tell her to stay out of it. To just go back to the foundry. But he couldn't seem to find his voice.

"Oliver swore his allegiance to the League," Ra's replied calmly. "To me. It's time for my _habib_ to return home."

"That," Sara growled, taking a daring, almost foolish, step forward. "Is not happening."

Oliver saw the subtle tension rising in his Alphas shoulders and quickly darted forward. "Ra's," he caught his mate's arm as he spoke. "Please, just...just give us a minute."

Ra's regarded him for a moment before nodding. "Take your time, _habib_." The Alpha reached up again to cup his cheek. "Goodbyes are never easy. Perhaps that is why I didn't get one?"

Oliver's heart leapt as guilt swam through him, not for the first time, and he saw the brief flicker of shame dance in Ra's' eyes.

" _Ana asfa, habib,_ " the Alpha murmured, lightly touching his arm, before moving off a short distance. Oliver watched him for a moment before turning to Sara.

"Look..."

"You're not going with him, Ollie," Sara growled, shooting a glare full of daggers towards Ra's. "Not now. Not ever. I don't trust him."

He reached out, cupping Sara's cheek, bringing her gaze back to him.

"Then trust me." He smiled slightly. "Please."

Sara let out a soft rumble, clearly not wanting him to go, but didn't stop him when he walked to where Ra's was standing, leaving with the Alpha. He led Ra's through the Glades and, eventually, they came to the clock tower. His Alpha remained silent until they were there, the top floor cleaner than the last time Oliver had been there, meaning Sin, her scent still strong in the air, had likely been using the place as a haven.

"You look different," his mate said, reaching up, gloved fingers lightly brushing his cheek, the heavy stubble that had grown in.

"I'm still me," the Omega replied quietly, not quite certain if that was true or not.

Ra's rumbled and shook his head. "No, no, you...you seem so..." The Alpha paused, searching for the right word. "You seem so weary, _habib_." The Alpha's thumb rubbed at a stress line he could see beneath Oliver's eye. "The strain of blocking the bond is taking a heavy toll on you." He gave a small, sad smile. "As it is on me."

Oliver sighed softly.

"I didn't want that...but I...I didn't have a choice." He shook his head. "After the earthquake...I had to be sure my family was safe."

"And they are," Ra's replied gently, knowing full well how important his family was to his Omega. "Now, please _habib_ , please come home."

Oliver closed his eyes for a moment. "Ra's, I..." He paused and slowly opened his eyes, carefully opening the bond between them, letting his mate feel what he felt. Letting Ra's feel how tired he was. "I can't. I can't keep...killing...I just...this darkness inside me...I've carried it for so long and now it's...it's crushing me."

"Oliver," Ra's whispered his name, finally seeing the weight his mate carried. A weight that, as Oliver had said, was crushing him. Crushing his spirit. Tearing him down, little by little, until there would be nothing left but dust. But there was something else. Something Oliver was fighting hard to bury.

"I'm just so...so tired, Ra's," Oliver continued, voice barely more than a whisper, looking at his mate almost sadly. "Please I...I don't think I can do it anymore. I just want some sort of peace. That's all."

 

Ra's rumbled softly, an Alpha's attempt to comfort, before he reached out, catching hold of his mate, drawing him into a warm embrace. Oliver couldn't help the sound he made, something torn between a whine and sniffle, as he leaned into his mate, clinging to him as his eyes slipped shut. The Omega wasn't surprised when Ra's' hand brushed over the short strands of his hair, or the way the Alpha rumbling comfortingly, like the purr of a large cat. He tucked his head against Ra's shoulder and soaked in the comfort and love his mate so willingly offered.

"This is not a weakness," Ra's spoke softly, sensing Oliver's feelings through their bond. "You are not weak, _habib_. Never believe that."

"But..."

"No." Ra's pulled back slightly, but still held onto his mate. "You are many things, Oliver, but weak is not one of them. A weak man does not stand in defence of innocents. A weak man does not seek to save the world." He reached up to cup Oliver's cheek, thumb brushing softly over the skin there. "You are afraid. Afraid I will cast you aside because you can no longer stand against the darkness. You fear I will think you weak for that. But nothing could be further from the truth, _habib_."

Ra's leaned in, brushing a soft, almost chaste, kiss to Oliver's lips.

"You are my mate, Oliver, my _habib_ ," the Alpha continued as he pressed his forehead to Oliver's. "Nothing you do will ever make me abandon you." He kissed Oliver again. "You are, what is your American idiom? Ah, yes, you are stuck with me. For better or worse, my love."

Oliver couldn't help but laugh even as he ducked his head, nuzzling at his Alpha's neck, feeling the love and warmth through their bond as easily as he felt it in the warm embrace of his mate.

"There's still...there's still things you don't know," Oliver whispered, head resting against Ra's shoulder. "Things...I didn't only run because of my family..."

Ra's rubbed his hand down Oliver's side.

He felt Oliver twitch, knew the exact moment his mate felt the comfort he was projecting through the bond, knew that his mate was fighting his instincts to press closer, to accept the comfort, and, before he could blink, the younger man was pulling away from him. The bond remained open so Ra's counted that as a victory, however small it might have been, and watched as Oliver began to pace back and forth.

"You..." Oliver rumbled faintly before shoving a hand through the short, barely there strands of his hair. "I can't..." He shook his head and suddenly slumped against a nearby table, hands gripping the edge so tightly his knuckles turned white and the look on his face was not one Ra's had ever seen on his mate in a very long time. His mate looked haunted. Broken and haunted. Ra's felt a pang, like hooks caught under his ribs, and he started to take a step towards Oliver but the young man shook his head, silently pleading with him to stop, to stay back, and Ra's fell still again. Waiting.

Oliver drew a slow, shallow breath, eyes darted this way and that.

"You..." The Omega let out a soft sound, not quite a whine but Ra's couldn't find another word for it. "Do you remember the...the mission...you sent me on right before...before I disappeared?"

Ra's nodded. "The warlord."

Oliver huffed faintly. "Using kids...to fight his war...to cause fear and panic...to kill people." Oliver shook his head. "He was a tough bastard. But I...I did what I had to do...and I...I didn't complain...about what it cost to do it."

Ra's flinched slightly.

He remembered the wounds that Oliver had returned to Nanda Parbat with. How, for weeks, his mate had lingered on the edge of death. And how, even though he hadn't been fully healed, the Omega had begun, suddenly, to withdraw. From him. From the League. He had even taken to hiding in the fields near the keep, tucked away beneath an ancient oak, his scent hard to track among the wildflowers there, and then, one morning, Ra's had woken to find his mate gone. Vanished like smoke on the wind.

Despite every instinct he had he did not reach out for his mate.

He knew, in this moment, it would not be welcomed.

" _Habib_ ," he murmured the word and Oliver let out of soft sound as he shook his head.

"After..." The Omega continued as though Ra's hadn't spoken. "After the warlord...when I came home...one of the healers told me something. Something I hadn't realized before I took the mission." Oliver looked down and away for a moment. "I..." He swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. He felt tears prickle his eyes and he hurriedly blinked them away. "I was pregnant."

Ra's heart leapt into his throat.

Pregnant.

They were going to be...

And then the reality of what Oliver had said, the exact wording he had used, came crashing down on the Alpha like a bundle of bricks.

Oliver's phrasing had been past tense.

He had been pregnant.

But after that mission he had no longer been so.

"Oh, _habib_ ," Ra's moved then, reaching for his mate, somewhat surprised when Oliver allowed the embrace. More surprised even when his mate suddenly pressed closer, head tucking against his shoulder, one hand curling around his hip. "I...I am so sorry, _habib_. I am so sorry that you had to carry this...this unimaginable weight alone. That you felt you had to carry it alone."

"I should..." Oliver whimpered. "I should have known...should have...Omegas are supposed to know. It's my fault."

Ra's rumbled and drew back enough to cup Oliver's face in his hands, forcing his mate to meet his gaze.

"No." Ra's shook his head. "You did nothing wrong, _habib_. Nothing." He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to the Omega's lips. "I...I am sorry you carried this for so long. I cannot imagine the torment it caused you. But...But please, _habib_ , do not think you are the reason our pup...our pup was taken from us."

"I know what you are feeling," Ra's pressed on, running his fingers through Oliver's hair. "I feel it, my beloved, but you can heal. If you...If you let me...let your brothers and sisters...help you to do so. You have carried this weight alone for too long, Oliver. Let us help you, _habib_."

Oliver stared up at his mate, his Alpha, and felt tears dot his lashes even as he tightened his hold on his Alpha.

"What did I ever do to deserve you, _'iishraq_?"

A smile tugged at Ra's lips even as he pressed another soft, butterfly kiss to his Omega's lips.

It had been so long since he had heard his mate call him _'iishraq_ , call him _sunshine_ , that his heart seemed to skip a beat. And he would never tire of the way hearing it set his heart fluttering. His mate had gone through countless pet names for him, some rather ridiculous, but had eventually settled on _'iishraq_ after, for some reason, deciding that Ra's was the light to his darkness. Ra's disagreed with his mate. If either of them were the light in the darkness it was Oliver. But he would never voice that opinion. Not when it made his mate happy to believe otherwise.  
Smiling down at his Omega he reached up, brushing his hand lightly over Oliver's short hair, part of him missing the long locks the Omega had worn when he had first come to Nanda Parbat all those years ago.

"You are mistaken, _habib_ ," the Alpha murmured, still smiling, resting his forehead against Oliver's. "It is I who have to wonder what I have done to deserve you, _habib_. For in all my long years never did I dream to have someone like you be mine."

Oliver let out a soft sound and leaned further into his mate, brushing his cheek over the man's neck, scenting him and letting his scent wash over him in return.

"I...I was afraid you...you wouldn't want me anymore..." Oliver whispered, tears still dotting his lashes. "Afraid that...that I'm...I'm just damaged goods."

Ra's shook his head slightly, pressing a kiss to Oliver's temple, rubbing his hand over his mate's back.

"You," the Alpha rumbled, drawing back enough to catch Oliver's chin with his hand, getting Oliver to meet his gaze. "Are _not_ damaged goods, _habib_." He leaned in and brushed his lips over Oliver's, loving the way the younger man shivered, loving the soft mewling sound that passed his mate's lips even as the Omega chased his lips, seeking more kisses.

"You," Ra's spoke, kissing Oliver again. "Are." Another kiss. "My." Two more kisses. "Mate." A deeper kiss, drawing another soft sound from Oliver.

Ra's drew back slightly, meeting Oliver's gaze, now slightly hooded, again.

"We will both stumble, we will fall," Ra's rubbed his thumb over Oliver's jaw line. "But, _habib_ , together we can stand again. Rise again." He pressed a soft kiss to Oliver's lips. "So long as I draw breath I will always stand at your side, _habib_."

Oliver let out a soft sound and leaned into Ra's, pressing his lips to his Alpha's, seeking another deep kiss that Ra's eagerly, happily, gave to him. He sank his fingers into Ra's hair in order to pull his mate closer and he just started to roll his hips against the Alpha's when he heard movement on the stairs. Something Ra's also noticed because the Alpha drew back, growling faintly and, before Oliver could say or do anything, drew and threw the knife from his belt.

The knife embedded in the wall just short of the doorway where a dark haired girl suddenly jumped sideways, a bag and cup from Big Belly Burger falling from her hands as she let out a startled shout.

"What the actual fuck?!"

Ra's was still growling and he let out a sound like a clap of thunder when Oliver pulled away from him, approaching the girl.

"Sin," the Omega said, holding his hands out to show he wasn't a threat, that she was safe with him. "Sin, it's okay."

"Okay?!" Sin looked ready to throw a broken board or something at him. "Are you nuts, Ollie?! That whackjob just threw a knife at me!"

Oliver winced slightly. "Yeah," he agreed. "Yeah, he did but he..."

"Apologizes," Ra's cut in quickly, drawing both Oliver and Sin's attention. "An Alpha protecting his mate is a dangerous thing. Especially in..." Ra's glanced around the clock tower. "Unfamiliar territory."

Sin huffed and reached out, yanking the knife from the wall, pointing it at Ra's.

"You got some serious issues, buddy," she growled faintly. "And you," she rounded on Oliver. "Why didn't you tell me you were back in Starling?"

"I only just came back," Oliver explained as Sin crossed the space between them, Ra's' knife still in her hand but she kept it close to her side, finger tapping against flat of the blade. "Something...Something happened. With my family. I had to be sure they were okay."

Sin's gaze cut to Ra's. "What's he got to do with it?"

"She's sharp, for one so young," Ra's said and Sin huffed.

"Young?" She raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down. "You're just old."

Oliver swore his heart stopped as Ra's turned his impossibly dark gaze on Sin who, in true Sin fashion, didn't so much as flinch. When his mate smiled, slightly, just the barest upturning of his lips, Oliver released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"As I said," Ra's said, still smiling. "Sharp. Quick wit is often a sign of a deeper, hard earned intelligence."

Sin slowly grinned and looked at Oliver before she stepped forward, holding Ra's knife out to him, hilt first. "Yeah, well," she said with a shrug. "Maybe you ain't so old."

Ra's chuckled as he accepted the knife, sliding it back into the sheath on his belt, still smiling that ghost of a smile as he looked at Oliver.

"I see your knack for finding wayward youth has not diminished since you left."

Oliver grinned and shrugged as he fetched Sin's bag of food from where she'd dropped it. The fries and burger were, more or less, intact, but her soda was all but gone, the sticky liquid sinking into the aged boards of the floor.

"What can I say," he said, setting Sin's food on a nearby table, not surprised when she immediately gravitated to his side, snagging her fries. "It's a gift."

Ra's chuckled faintly, watching as Sin offered Oliver a few of her fries, which he happily accepted. It reminded him of how Oliver was with Chase. Equal parts brother and friend. It was clear that Sin had few people in her life, likely had no one to truly care for her, and that she cared deeply for Oliver. It was not difficult to guess that, like with Chase, Oliver had likely saved Sin from something terrible. And, just like with Chase, the girl had likely formed an immediate, or nearly immediate, attachment to the Omega.

"So," Sin said, still munching away on her fries, looking from Oliver to Ra's. "I take it this guy's here to take you back, huh?"

Oliver blinked. "How did..."

"You told me you ran away from your duty or something." Sin shrugged as she spoke. "He's dressed like you were the night you saved me from those jackasses. Like all those nights you went out playing vigilante. Not hard to connect the dots."

Oliver couldn't help but grin and nod. Sin was, as Ra's surmised, sharp. Her life, the way she'd grown up, had made her that way.

"Yeah, yeah he's here to take me home," he agreed as he glanced at Ra's, still feeling his mate's love and support through their Bond.

Sin hummed softly.

"You actually gonna go?" She eyed Ra's for a moment. "He doesn't look all that tough. We could probably take him."

Oliver was surprised when Ra's laughed, a soft sound that echoed through the tower, and the Alpha gave Sin an almost fatherly look.

"You show great strength and courage," Ra's said, smiling the slightest bit. "By seeking to protect your friend."

Sin let out a low, rumbling sound as she met Ra's gaze head on.

"Ollie's not a friend. He's family." She puffed up slightly, like a cat attempting to look bigger when confronted with an unfriendly dog. "Family means nobody is left behind or forgotten."

Oliver felt his heart swell as he looked at Sin.

Ra's nodded his head and his smile grew wider, becoming more noticeable.

"There are too few souls like you, my dear," the elder Alpha said, still smiling. "I am glad my _habib_ has had you during his time away."

Sin eyed Ra's for a moment before she sighed, looking back to Oliver.

"So you're really going to go?"

Oliver shared a look with Ra's and drew a deep breath, reaching out to wrap his arm around Sin, hugging her close, not surprised when she hugged him back just as tightly.

"It's time," he said against the spikes of her inky hair. "My family...they're safe. Or as safe as they're likely to be in Starling. My place isn't here. Not anymore."

Sin clung to him for a moment, tucking her head against his shoulder, a soft rumble echoing from her chest.

"You'll come back though, won't you? To visit?"

Oliver smiled softly. "If I can."

Sin nodded and stepped back, gripping Oliver's arm for a moment, before she finally managed to smile at him, clearly fighting back tears before she looked at Ra's, her gaze going fierce and hard.

"Anything happens to him," she growled slightly. "And I don't care who you are. I'll personally hunt you down and kick your ass, you understand old man?

Ra's grinned and bowed his head slightly before he looked at Oliver.

"We should be going, _habib_. The plane is waiting."

Oliver drew a deep breath and nodded.

"Hey," he said, catching Sin's hand, smiling softly at her. "Can you...Can you do me a favour?"

Sin nodded. "Name it."

"Your friend Roy, he's close with the Black Canary right?"

Sin nodded.

"Can you...Can you have him pass her a message from me? Tell him to tell her...tell her that I'm sorry. But my place isn't here. It hasn't been for a long time."

Sin, though clearly confused, slowly nodded. "I will," she promised and Oliver nodded thankfully.

"If you ever need me," he said softly. "I'm just a phone call away. I promise."

Sin nodded and sniffled slightly even as Oliver gave her a final hug before leaving the tower alongside his mate.

He knew he'd probably be back, perhaps a lot sooner than anyone, himself included, expected. 

But for now he was going home.


End file.
